Currently, when a customer visits a business or a service establishment (hereinafter, “business”), where there is a waiting period before the customer uses the services of the business, the customer usually does nothing to pass the time or performs tasks that are not interactively entertaining in a way that are related to the business; moreover, the customer is not given an opportunity to be monetarily rewarded for patronizing the business by waiting. Some exemplary tasks include, but not limited to, napping, reading, tasks on a cellular device such as texting, emailing, browsing the Internet, and phone calling. For example, passing time before being seated at a restaurant, a customer “man watches” other customers, reads available magazines or the menu, makes phone calls, text messages, or performs other tasks that are not interactively entertaining in a way that is related to the restaurant. As another example, waiting in line to take a ride at Disneyland®, a person chit-chats, uses a cell phone to perform some tasks, “man watches” others in line, or performs other tasks that are not interactively entertaining in a way that is directly related to the ride. Other common examples of a business where people usually waiting end up doing nothing to pass the time or perform tasks that are not interactively entertaining in a way that are related to the business include, but not limited to, a bank, a show at an amusement park, a show or an eating establishment within a casino, a waiting lounge at an airport or hospital, and a car wash or dealership.
Since customers waiting to use services offered by a business are not currently interactively entertained in a way that is related to the business, the business misses out on an opportunity to promote the services and products of the business in an engaging and entertaining way that is a win-win situation for both the business and the waiting customers. For example, currently a restaurant promotes its new or promotional menu items by statically displaying them on the menu or on a poster or flyer. Such a display is sometimes missed by a customer who would otherwise have tried the new or promotional item. Other miscellaneous items that the restaurant sells such as clothing items and gift certificates are inanimately displayed in a glass cabinet or counter. Again, many times this form of display is missed by a customer who may otherwise buy one as a gift, souvenir, or memento. This manner of statically or inanimately displaying the services and products of a business is not entertaining to the customer because the customer is not interactively made aware of them.
Based on the above-described deficiencies of not providing interactive entertainment related to a business where a customer is waiting, there is a need for the business to provide “inter-advertainment”, i.e., interactive entertainment that promotes the services of the business to its waiting customers while rewarding those customers who win.